Before the clans-The story begins(original warrior cats story)
by FireclawWritesWarriorsStories
Summary: Before the clans of the forest ever existed, there was but one lone housecat who aimed to change her life and the lives of cats everywhere, forever.
1. Prologue

**_A note about this story: Before the clans-The story begins is completely original, it does not take place within the forest nor does it contain any cats from the Erin Hunters warriors series. Those cats and that world never existed in this story._** ** __**

 ** _Before the clans is the first story in a five story series._** ** __**

 ** _Warrior cat terms:_** ** _  
_** ** _Moon= The time span from one full moon to the next, the equivalent of one month_**

 ** _Season=A rarely used term referencing an entire season(to simply say "three moons" is more common (new-leaf, green-leaf etc) the equivalent of three months, there are four seasons in a year._**

 ** _I was just a kitten when I first started having the dreams, laying at my mothers belly with my brothers._** ** __**

 ** _They were faint at first, like a voice whispering in my ear, calling to me and vivid images of forests, rivers and trees._** ** __**

 ** _While my brothers were more concerned with one day finding homes with the humans, I always knew I wanted more for myself, I wanted to see what was out there, didn't want to venture outside only when my future housefolk allowed it._** ** __**

 ** _My mother said I would grow out of those dreams, that all young kittens dreamed about the forest now and then, it was a hearkening back to our ancestors, Great wildcats that roamed the forest and hunted for their own prey, without any housefolk to guide them, and that, one way or another, all Housecats were descended from these wild cats._** ** __**

 ** _But the dreams never left. Day by day, moon by moon, as I grew, so did the dreams. More vivid, more beautiful than ever. I knew that I wanted more than a simple life as a simple house cat, I wanted what the cats of the past had, before the human nests, before there were even House cats._** ** __**

 ** _Eventually, I came to have a family, Housefolk who loved me, accepted me for petting whenever I wanted it and never made sure I went hungry or thirsty. I should have been happy, right?_** ** __**

 ** _Well, I never was. The dreams continued and the voice in my head grew louder with each dream._** ** __**

 ** _I felt myself being pulled towards the forest each and every time I set paw outside._** ** __**

 ** _I always wandered what it was like to live as a wild cat..._** ** __**

 ** _and now, I get to live my dreams._**


	2. Chapter 1-Daydreams and Nightwhispers

_A warm breeze drifted through the open window in the living room, filling the area with the strong scent of summer Barbeques and flower pollen, birds sung loudly in the trees and squabbled at the bird feeder outside the window. Nearby, a pair of tomcats caterwauled defiance at each other over territory among the streets while dogs barked and yapped from many different back yards._

 _A young cat, sleeping on the back of the brown couch shifted her weight and stretched, she opened her golden eyes and blinked away the harshness of the brightly lit room, then sat up and began to groom her dappled gray tortoiseshell coat, finishing off my licking both of her white fore-paws and drawing them each over the same-side ear in turn._

 _She stood and swiped her tongue over her nose, she rubbed the white bridge with a fore-paw and sneezed._

Marney jumped to the floor with a grunt, a shiver went down her spine as she remembered how vivid her dream had been, she could still taste the mouse on her lips, even though she had never actually hunted before, she would always watch the sparrows and starlings and wonder what it was like.

 _The young she-cat strolled into the kitchen, her humans were gone for the day, at a place they called "work", it was somewhere they had gone ever since she came to live with them when she was just over two moons old, she quickly realized that had been nearly six moons ago, her kitten-hood seemed so long ago now._

 _Her housefolk always left the window above the sink cracked open for her so that she could go in and out while they were gone._

 _She sniffed_ _half-heartedly at the plate of soft, sloppy meat her humans left for her when they left, she had grown up eating it and the hard, dry_ _pellets that tasted like dust but she never really cared for either of them, and the tastes and smells of her dream came flooding back, making her stomach turn at the smell of her food._

 _Quickly deciding that she wasn't hungry, Marney jumped_ _onto the counter and pushed herself through the narrow opening in the window and left herself slither the few feet to the ground._

'I wonder what mouse really tastes like?'  
she asked herself, perhaps she should try hunting for real this time? Her muscles flexed at the idea.

Marney made her way around her humans den to the front and stared across the dark gray path that the monsters the humans rode around in used.  
Try as she might, she could never get used to the smell, just across the harsh smelling, hard path was another nest, much like her humans, here is where her best friend lived.

The young she-cat made her way quickly across the path, it was already hot and sticky beneath her paws and strode to the front of the nest.

She glanced towards the window on the left and there, as always, a black and white lump was dozing in the window-ledge.

 _ **"Sebastian!"**_  
Marney called quietly

 **"Sebastian!"**  
she called again when he didn't stir.  
 _ **"Seb!, Sebby!"**_

 _The black and white cat lifted his head, green eyes gleaming with anger as he looked for the sound that had woken him, then his gaze brightened as he spotted the cat in his yard._

 **"Marney! Hi!"**  
he called back  
 **"hold on, I'll be right there"**

Marney watched as Sebastian disappeared from the window, moments later, a clatter told her that he was squeezing his way through the cat-flap on the front door of the den, Marneys humans den didn't have one of these.

 **"I thought you were Arnold!"**  
Sebastian growled  
 **"that Pesky tabby kept me up all night the other day"**

"I wondered why you were still asleep, you lazy lump!"

Marney teased  
 **"You better be glad I'm around to make sure you don't sleep your life away!"**

Marney gave the tom a light shove, they were about the same age, about 8 moons each, Sebastian came to live with his housefolk, not long after Marney did, despite that fact, he was already slightly bigger than she was. They had been friends for a long time, in fact, it was Marney who first urged Sebastian to start coming outside and they had met up this way every day for many moons.

 **"Cut me a break, would ya?"**  
Sebastian growled irritably  
 **"The housefolk took me to the vet this morning"**

"Really? why?"

Marney shuttered, Her housefolk had only ever taken her to the place called the "vet" once since she'd came to live with them, she hated it, it was a scary, foul smelling place and there were always lots of other animals there, mostly loud, noisy dogs and funny smelling housefolk that poked and prodded with sharp, pointed stingers on their paws.

 **"Vaccinations"**  
Sebastion growled  
 **"I gotta tell you something, those things hurt! and then the vet put  
something up my rear! stuff is supposed to come out of there, not go in!"**

Then he added mischievously  
 **"But the ole' vet won't forget me in a hurry"**

 **"You scratch him?"**

Marney asked

 **"yeup! twice!"**

Sebastian purred

 **"they didn't..uhm, they didn't get you cut, did they?"**  
Marney asked nerviously

 **"what? no, of course not!"**  
Sebastian growled proudly  
 **"and they better not, either"**

Despite Sebastians optimism, Marney knew that almost all house cats were taken to the vet to be altered at some point and that one day, it would happen to her, it was a day she always dreaded, she had always wanted kittens of her own one day.

The pair got up and padded across the yard, shoulder to shoulder, pelts barely touching.

 **"I had that dream again, Seb"**  
Marney purred as they laid down together in the shade of the oak tree in Sebastians yard.

 _ **"What dream?"**_  
Sebastian asked, seeming only mildly interested as he licked the bottom of his foreleg and drew the fore-paw over his ear to clean it.

 **"The one where I'm in the forest"**

Sebastian sniffed  
 **" _That_ one again?"**

"What?"

 _ ** **"Nothing"  
**** Sebastian mewed as he looked up at her ** **  
"it just seems like you have that dream a lot, Marn' "****_

"So?"

 _ ****Marney growled **  
 **"what's so wrong with that?"****_

"Well..."

 _Sebastian began hesitantly ** **  
"It's just a little weird, that's all"  
**** He flinched as Marney glared at him, her amber eyes blazing._

 ** **"What do you mean '****

 **weird** _ ** **' ?"  
**** she asked _

"I'm just saying that you don't hear the other house cats going around and talking about dreams of roaming forests and eating mice"

 _Sebastian mewed curtly_

 _Marney sighed ** **  
"I'm not like the other house cats"****_

"I know, No one is expecting you to be"

 _Sebastian replied._

"I mean, is it so wrong to think that I might want more in my life than sitting on a Housefolks lap all day and being petted, or doing my business in the same place every day? do you know how gross that gets? I want a life, Seb! I want to be able to do as I please, do what I want without being expected to come home at a certain time"

 _Marney paused_

 **"I want kittens of my own one day, I want to be able to raise those kittens, teach them everything I know, not just raise them until the housefolk decide it's time for them to leave"  
** She continued

 **"I still don't understand what's so wrong with having a simple life?"**  
Sebstian growled  
 **  
"A simple life? You mean seeing the same sights every day? The same smells? Eating the same thing, day after day? I know you don't like to think so, but whether you want to believe it or not, one day they will take us to the vet to be altered. It happened to old Tucker down the street and do you remember when Misty had her kittens? how devastated she was when her Housefolk took them away too young and then got her altered so she could never have anymore? She was never the same, she layed around the time,stopped eating, she died, Sebastian! Died of a broken heart. I don't want that to happen to either of us"**

Sebastian didn't answer, so Marney continued

"Remember what happened to Crowly?"

she asked, Crowly was a ginger tabby kitten who had lived beside Sebastian.

"Remember when his Housefolks kitten got tired of him? he disappeared! Who knows what happened to him, I don't know what happens when Housefolk get tired of you, what would you do if yours got tired of you?"

"They'd never do that!"

Sebastian gasped

"Suppose they did"

Marney pressed  
 **"Your female Housefolk just had a kitten of her own, didn't she?"**

 **"Yeah, it lives where my toys and bed used to be and takes up space in the Housefolks bed"**  
Sebastian growled  
 **"and it yowls a lot"**

 **"Suppose they didn't want you around, then?"**  
Marney continued

 **"Then I'd come live with you"**  
He answered cheerfully.

Marney sighed and drug her gaze over to the vast stretch of forest behind her House.

 **"Ok,fine"**  
Sebastian muttered  
 **"**

 _ **I'll bite. Suppose we went into the forest for a bit, just to see what it's like, would that shut you up for a while?"**_

 _Marney looked at him in surprise  
 **"Can we? and you'll go with me?"**_

 **"Yeah"**  
Sebastian answered half-heartedly  
 **"Someones gotta look after you in case you do something crazy"**

Marney jumped to her paws with a happy purr and covered Sebastians face with licks

 **"Thanks Seb!, you're the best!"**

 **"Yeah"**  
he sighed  
 **"I know"**

Together, the two young cats padded across Sebastians yard and across the Monster path and into Marneys yard.

 **"You sure you wanna do this?"**  
Marney asked

 **"I made you a promise"**  
Sebastian replied  
 **"Or are you too scared?"**  
He gave her a wry look

 **"No way!"**  
Marney growled playfully, she took off, leaving Sebastian to chase after her.  
He stopped beside her as she stood at the treeline, staring off into the oak forests dark depths.

 **"What do you think is in there?"**  
Sebastian asked

 **"Only one way to find out!"**  
Marney purred and she boldly strode past the first trees.

She looked back at the black and white tom, who was still standing at the treeline, wide eyed and nervous.

 _ **"Come on, slow slug! you made a promise remember?"**_

Sebastian hissed and trotted forward  
 **"Well, wait up then and if we get eaten by a monster, it's your fault!"**  
he growled.

The two friends padded side by side deeper into the forest.

 **"It's amazing, isn't it?"**  
Marney gasped as she looked up through the tops of the trees  
 **"the sights, the sounds, smells"**

 **"Well, I wouldn't go that far"**  
Sebastian grumbled as he curled his lip after sniffing at some foul smelling tree mold.

 **"Well, I've got something else for you to smell"**  
Marney called  
 **"come smell this!"**

She sniffed at an exposed tree room, a small wet spot was in the center  
 **"What does this smell like?"**  
she asked, opening her mouth to allow the scent to pass over the roof of her mouth.  
Her stomach growled, instantly recognizing the scent.

Sebastian padded over and sniffed at the spot for a few heartbeats  
 **"I dunno"**  
he shrugged

 **"It's a mouse, you furball!"**  
Marney growled

Sebastian snorted  
 **"Like you know what a mouse smells like"**

 **"I do so!"**  
Marney defended  
It was partly true, she realized as she thought back to her dreams, but was that what real mice smelled like? she was sure of it.

 **"Look! over there!"**  
Sebastian whispered, breaking her thoughts.

Marney drew her gaze over to where Sebastian was staring, and spotted a small brown shape moving swiftly along the exposed roots of an oak tree.

 **"Let's try and catch it"**  
Marney growled softly as she slid into a crouch

 **"Seriously?"**

 **"Hush"**  
she growled stalking forward.

Sebastian copied her and began slinking forward, Marney could see that the little creature was dangerously close to a small hole in the ground, most likely it's den.

She slowly crept forward, Sebastian a little farther back, something told her to make sure to keep her belly and tail off the ground and put her paws carefully in front of one another as she stalked

Marney stopped just a leap away from the mouse, signaling lightly with her tail for Sebastian to stop as well.

She took another step forward and suddenly Sebastian shot forward

 **"No! What are you doing?!"**  
she snarled

But the black and white cat didn't listen, he dove clumsily for the mouse as it shot into it's borrow.

Marney was prepared to give the dumb furball a severe telling off.

 **"I got it!"**  
Sebastian yowled

Surprised, Marney padded up to see that Sebastian had thrust his fore-leg into the hole, his claws must have hooked the mouses flesh. His tail was lashing back and forth excitedly.

 **"Well, pull it out, before it gets away!"**  
Marney hissed

Sebastian pulled back hard and with a flick of his paw, yanked the mouse out of it's hole and sent it flying through the air, the tiny creature landed with a muffled thud.

Marney shot forward and flicked the mouse into the air again before it could dart for cover, the mouse bounced off a nearby sapling with a squeak and lay dazed on the ground.

 **"Good job Seb!"**  
Marney praised proudly

The black and white tom beamed

 **"See?"**  
Marney purred  
 **"You're just like a wild cat"**

Sebastian didn't answer but padded over to the mouse and looked down at it's twitching body  
 **"I feel so bad..."**  
he murmured  
 **"I feel like we should...psych!"**  
Quick as a flash, The young tom bent down and plucked the mouse up in his jaws before bounding away

 **"Hey!"**  
The quick action surprised Marney and she darted playfully after him.

Sebastian hooked the mouse with his claws and flung it into the air again, it barely had time to hit the ground before he flicked it away again.

 **"Keep away!"**  
he howled, quickly plucking the mouse up and bounding away from Marney again.

 **"Come back here, you furball!"**  
Marney growled playfully.

She pounced on Sebastian and rolled him over, the mouse flew from his jaws and Marney quickly  
leaped away and pinned the mouse beneath her paws before it could scrabble away, she growled playfully, blocking Sebastian with her body, she bent down and grabbed the mouse in her teeth, just behind it's head, she felt the tiny creature moving feebly between her jaws and bit down harder, a feeling of excitement flooded her body as she could taste the mouses blood in her mouth and bit down even hard until she felt a tiny pop between her teeth and the mouses tiny brown body went limp at last.

She sat up with the mouse still in her jaws, heart beating quickly with excitement at the smell and taste of the mouses blood, she let the tiny creature drop from her mouth and plop to the ground.

Sebastian prodded it with a paw.  
 **"Awww, ya' killed it!"**

 _he mewed disapointedly  
 **"Now how are we supposed to play with it?"**_

 **"We can still play with it"**  
Marney pointed out, flicking it a few pawsteps away with her paw

 **"Yeah, but it won't run anymore"**  
Sebastian whined

 **"Well"**  
Marney answered wryly  
 **"If you don't want it anymore, I'll just-"**

She repeated Sebastians earlier trick and quickly snatched the mouse up and bounded off.

 **"Hey!"**  
Sebastian called and bounded after her  
 **"No fair!"**

Marney batted the mouses body around, her heart still beating quickly as she took in the multiple smells.

She finally batted it a bit too far and Sebastian leaped past her and flicked it even farther, the mouse sailed through the air and landed near a thin branched holly bush.

Marney padded after Sebastian when he didn't return

 **"Hey! did you lose it?"**  
She called, she spotted her black and white friend standing a distance from the holly bush, fear-scent coming off him in waves as he stood with his back arched and tail fluffed up

 **"Hey...what are you...doing?-"**  
she trailed off as she spotted what Sebastian was staring at.  
A pair of eyes gleamed back at them from within the hollybush, Marney could feel herself instinctively arching her own back at the unknown threat. A warning growl escaped Sebastians throat.

What was it? a dog? a raccoon? A possum? All creatures she was familiar with.

She tested the air for any identifying scent, but could smell nothing but Sebastians fear scent mingling with her own growing nervousness.

Suddenly, the bush trembled and a large, black head poked it's way out, followed by a fore-leg, then the other and finally the body of a large, muscular tomcat. He stood, staring at the two young cats, his yellow eyes shined brightly in front of his battle scarred face.

 _The tomcat stared at the two cats for a moment longer before delicately reaching out a forepaw and groping around for the mouse in front of him, never once taking his yellow eyes off of Marney and Sebastian._

Finally, his claws hooked the mouses body and he pulled it toward him.

 **"Hey!"**  
Sebastian spat  
 **"that's ours!"**

The tomcat paused

 **"You snooze, you lose"**  
He replied cheekily

His deep voice seemed to soothe Marney as she admired his muscular body

 **"You two should learn not to play with your food"**  
he continued with the same smug tone of voice

'He knows neither of us will challenge him'  
Marney thought.

 **"Thanks for the meal, Kittypets"**  
the black tom purred, he dipped his head and picked the mouse up in his jaws, before turning away and striding back from where he'd come.

 **"Dirty street cat!"**  
Sebastian spat as soon as the tom had gone  
 **"that was our mouse!"**

 **"I don't think he was"**  
Marney answered absently, still staring at the spot where the black tom had been.  
She had seen plenty of Street cats, but this tom was different, most street cats were thin and often nervous or overly aggressive. This tom was well fed, and confident enough to steal a mouse from two young cats in plain sight and take his time in doing it, most street cats were sneaky cowards. Marney knew one thing, this tom wasn't a street cat and he wasn't a House cat either, his fighting-scars gave that away, no House cat would fight like that.

 **"What?"**  
Sebastian broke into her thoughts

 **"I don't think he was a street cat"**  
Marney repeated  
 **"Something about him was...different...and he called us 'kittypets', I've never heard a street cat say that before..."**

Sebastian snorted  
 **"Well, whatever he was, that was still our mouse"**

 **"You wanna look for another?"**  
Marney asked

 **"No"**  
Sebastian murmured, sounding defeated and looked up through the trees  
 **"My housefolk will be home soon, so I should probably get back"**

Marney looked up at the sky for the first time, she hadn't even realized that the sun was beginning to set, leaving the sky with brilliant streaks of pink and orange.

 **"Ok, I probably should too. Walk me home?"**

 **"Sure"**  
Sebastian answered

Marney and Sebastian made their way out of the forest, padding side by side with their tails draped over each others backs. Until they got to the front of Marneys Housefolks house.

 **"That was a lot of fun! Thanks for talking me into going, Marn' "**  
Sebastian purred

 **"Thanks for going with me"**  
Marney replied  
 **"We should do that more often"**

 **"We should! See you tomorrow?"**

 **"Yup. Same time. Don't oversleep this time!"**  
Marney teased.

She touched noses with Sebastian and said goodbye, watching him as he trotted across the yard, tail straight up and made his way across the monster path to his own yard, she turned away only when he disappeared back through the cat flap and settled down on the porch to wait for her Housefolk to return.

She could hear the deep rumbling of her twolegs monster and see it's blazing eyes as it made it's way down the path just after sunset.  
She waited until the monster pulled in front of the house and grew quiet and her Housefolk exited it's sides before rushing over and rubbing against their legs. They each greeted her in turn by bending down and petting her along her back before making their way to the house with Marney hard on their heels.

Marney leaped onto the back of the couch as her Housefolk passed her and walked into the kitchen.  
She knew that they would prepare the prey they kept in the giant white box and settle down to eat together like they did every night, but not before one of them would rinse out her water bowl and replace it with new, cold, bitter tasting water, top up her bowl of dry nuggets and replace her plate of soft, sloppy meat with fresh stuff.

Marney waited until she heard the familiar crunch of the can in which the meat was kept, probably as a measure from Housefolk to guard it from other Housefolk.

She dashed into the kitchen and rubbed against the male Housefolks legs as he dumped the cans contents onto the clean plate with a few forceful clanks.  
Marney studied the meat for a few moments, suddenly realizing how hungry she was, she lowered herself down and began gulping it down by the mouthful as her Housefolk buzzed around the kitchen, preparing their own meal, Marney always wondered why they didn't just share with her.

After she had eaten her fill, she made her way back to the living room and settle on the couch to lick the remains of her meal from her whiskers and give herself a thorough wash.

It wasn't long until her housefolk plopped down on the couch and turned on the noisy box and stared at it as it shouted and yowled, occasionally one of the two legs would purr in amusement while they cuddled together. Marney climbed onto the back of the couch and laid behind their heads and soon enough, Marney found herself being taken by sleep. Her mind buzzed with images of the days adventures.

'I have everything I ever need'  
she thought to herself  
'A nice, warm home, food whenever I want it, Housefolk who love me and a best friend. So why am I not happy?'

Soon, the thoughts left her mind as she felt herself being pulled into sleep.

She found herself in the forest of her dreams again, the rich, tree and wild scents all around her, she padded silently through the forest, until a familiar scent greeted her nose, mouse. Her belly rumbled with hunger. She lowered her body and slunk forward, the mouse was right there, but it spotted her and darted up a nearby three, Marney crashed after the creature, hauling herself up into the branches. There the mouse was, huddled on a thin branch with no escape, Marney studied the branch quickly, it seemed thick enough to hold her weight, she made her way onto the branch, preparing to pounce, suddenly, she felt herself slip, she panicked as her hind legs slid off the branch and dangled helplessly, she stifled a yowl as she felt herself fall.

Marneys eyes flew open just as she hit the ground in her dream world, she found that she had slipped from the back of the couch and her bottom half was now wedged between the couch and wall, she pulled herself free and gave her chest a few soothing licks, the room was dark, she hadn't been asleep long.

she jumped down from the couch after letting her heart settle back into it's normal rythm and padded over to the window sill and hopped up onto it, the window was open, but the strange mesh was down, keeping bugs and birds from flying into the nest.

Marney lay there, taking in the sounds and scents of the warm summer night before eventually finding herself falling back into sleep.


	3. Chapter 2-Destiny

Marney woke the next morning to find that a light drizzle was falling, she sighed, she hated being stuck inside the nest when it rained, no doubt her housefolk had closed the window in the kitchen as well, so there'd be no way she could get out anyway.

She layed in the window and listened to the rain as it pattered the ground outside and dripped loudly from the corners of the roof of the den, her housefolk busied themselves with getting ready to leave for the day and Marney began to panic a bit, she knew that the rain wouldn't stop by the time the housefolk left but she hated the idea of being stuck inside until they returned that night.

She waited until she heard the familiar jingling of the shiny objects that the housefolk took off the wall every morning, these shiny things summoned the black monster sitting outside the nest to come to life as soon as the housefolk entered it's sides.

She jumped down from the window and waited patiently, if she was going to slip out the door, she'd need to be quick, she needed to time things perfectly. As the male housefolk exited the den and began closing the door behind him, Marney quickly dashed forward and bolted through the crack of the door at the last moment, thankful that her tail hadn't been caught.

She ignored her Housefolks cries and darted around the side of the nest and hid inside the bush that was there, she knew that if her Housefolk found her, they'd put her back inside.

But she breathed a sigh of relief as her housefolks frustrated shouts stopped and she heard the monsterous groan of the black monster as it sprung to life and watched as it backed away from the nest and rumbled down the path that it always used.

She waited under the bush for a while in case the housefolk came back to look for her, when they didn't, she slipped out from under the bush, a light rain was still falling and her fur felt heavy and gross, the humidity didn't help matters much either.

 _'I bet Wild cats don't fuss about damp fur'_  
she thought to herself, suddenly feeling ashamed.

She made her way across the yard and stared across the wet Monster path in front of her, in the rain, it looked like a thick, black river as ripples of water ran down it and the nauseating smell was even stronger in the damp air.

Picking her way carefully across the path, she made her way to Sebastians nest, she knew that he'd be safe and dry inside, he wouldn't dare come out in the rain.

She sat in the grass in front of his favorite window, it was open. She called out and waited to see if she'd get a response.

When none came, she called a little louder. Suddenly a black and white head peeked up from the bottom of the window.

 _ **"Marney!?"**_  
Sebastian squawked in alarm.

His head vanished and moments later reappeared peeking out of the cat flap, with the thin, flexible flap draped over his head.

 _ **"What are you doing out here!?"**_  
he spat  
 **"Come inside, my Housefolk are gone, get out of the rain, you Fluffbrain!"**

Marney was all too happy to accept his invitation, despite the fact that it was a warm morning, the rain had soaked her to the skin and she couldn't help but shiver.

 **"So, what's up, Marn'?"**  
Sebastian asked as soon as Marney had squeezed her way through the cat flap and into Sebastians Housefolks nest, she glanced around, she'd only been in there once or twice before and it always looked and smelled so different than her own.  
 **"You know we never meet up when it's raining"**

 **"Yeah, I know"**  
Marney replied, jumping up onto the chair where Sebastian had settled

 **"Did something happen?"**  
He asked, alarm in his voice, setting himself to groom the back of her neck.

 **"No, nothing happened"**  
Marney purred, then bent to dry the fur on her haunch.

 **"I dunno, I was bored"**  
she looked up and shrugged  
 _ **"and..."**_

 _ **"And?"**_  
Sebastian pressed

 **"I wanted to ask you...if you'd go into the forest with me again"**

 _ **"Again?"**_  
Sebastian snorted  
 **"really Marn'?"**

 **"You said you had fun yesterday"**  
Marney protested

 **"** ** _Yeah,_** **but I didn't think you'd want to make it an every day thing, besides, it's raining, what ever has possessed you to want to go there today?"**

 _ **"Well..."**_  
Marney ran her paw across the chair, letting her claws scrape the fabric  
The face of the battle-scarred tom popped into her head, she had been thinking about him ever since their encounter, she knew that Sebastian was wrong, he wasn't a street cat...he was something different, she had to know more about him.  
 **"I wanted..to...see if we couldn't find that tomcat from last night"**

She glanced up at her friend with her best "Cutesie" eyes.

 _ **"What?! Why!?"**_  
Sebastian stared at her in shock

 **"I just wanted to find him again, ask him a few questions, I need to know more about him"**

 **"What's to know?"**  
Sebastian growled, standing to turn in a circle and lay down with his back towards Marney  
 **"He was just a street cat, they're all over the place"**

 **"But he** ** _wasn't_** **a street cat, Seb"**  
Marney insisted

 **"How do you know?"**

 _ **"I just do"**_  
she insisted  
 **"there was something different about him"**

 **"Yeah, he was full of himself"**  
Sebastian shifted a little  
 **"** ** _wait a moment,_** **this is about that dream you keep having, isn't it?"**

He bent to look upside down at Marney.

She nodded sheepishly

Sebastian sighed and flipped around to face her  
 **"You can't keep dwelling on that, it'll eat you up and that's all you'll think about"**

 **"That's all I think about anyway!"**  
she growled  
 **"Please, Seb? Will you go into the woods with me again?"**

 _ **"No"**_  
Sebastian growled simply

 _ **"Pleeease?"**_  
Marney looked up at him with pleading eyes again.

 **"That's not going to work, I had fun yesterday but if you want to chase dreams, do it yourself"**

 **"But I just thought-"**

 _ **"I said no"**_  
Sebastian hissed, and got up to jump up onto the arm of the chair  
 **"Dreams are supposed to be just that,** ** _dreams_** **. They're not real. There's nothing special about that Tomcat, he's just like any other street cat out there. I'm not getting wet so you can chase foolishness"**

Marney stared up at Sebastian for a few heartbeats  
 **"But my dreams are real, Seb, they're what I feel, what I want. I just wish you could understand that"**

She got up and hopped down off of the chair and headed for the cat flap.

 _ **"Where are you going?"**_  
Sebastian called

 **"I'm going into the woods to see if I can find that cat, whether you go with me or not"**  
She replied simply, without waiting for a reply, she slipped out through the cat flap and onto the porch.

 _ **"Marney, wait!"**_  
Sebastians voice called as soon as she'd slipped outside, the rain was still falling steadily.  
 **"Hold up"**  
The black and white tom growled as he squeezed out beside her  
 **"I'm coming with you"**

 **"I thought I was chasing foolishness?"**  
she growled

 **"You are"**  
he replied, giving her an affectionate lick on the cheek  
 **"But you're my friend and I support whatever slow decent into madness you're going through"**  
He paused  
 **"Besides, if something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself"**

 **"Thanks Seb"**  
she purred

 **"** ** _Mmhmm._** **But after this, don't ask me to go on any more crazy adventures, ok?"**

 **"Oh, but it's no fun if I don't drag you along!"**  
Marney flicked Sebastian with her tail and padded out into the yard.

 **"You owe me"**  
he growled as he followed her.

Together, the two friends padded across the sodden yard and across the Monster path and made their way to the woods behind Marneys Housefolks nest.

 **"Well, let's go"**  
Sebastian grumbled, shaking out his coat, sending a spray of water into the air  
 **"The sooner we do this, the sooner we can leave"**

He shouldered his way past the wall of bracken which led into the forest, spitting curses as the water which had collected on the plants soaked into his fur.  
 _ **"I'll never be dry again"**_  
he muttered

Marney followed him, simply rolling her eyes at his whining and was amazed at how crisp and fresh everything smelled, despite that the rain had washed away most of the scents from the previous night, Marney was still able to find the spot where Sebastian had caught the mouse.

 **"Are you sure it was here?"**  
He asked

 _ **"Positive"**_  
Marney replied  
 _ **"Which means...that we saw the Tomcat...over...here!"**_

Marney padded through the undergrowth, moisture soaking her to the skin once again and making her fur feel stuck to her body, she made her way to the holly bush from the previous night, surprised to find that the Tomcats scent was as strong as it had been the previous night.

 **"Wow, that cat has a strong scent"**  
Sebastian commented  
 **"It's as if he was just here"**

 **"I think it's because he was"**  
Marney answered  
 **"He must have passed this way this morning"**

 _ **"No doubt looking for another mouse to steal"**_  
Sebastian grumbled.

 _ **"Come on"**_  
Marney flicked her friend with a soaked tail  
 **"He went this way"**

She was able to pick up his relatively fresh scent among the cold, damn scents of the forest and led Sebastian deeper into the forest, ignoring his occasional grumbling.

 **"You better know where you're going!"**  
He spat behind her as she finally stopped.

The sounds of monsters rumbling in the distance made her nervous, the whooshing noises they made were pretty frequent, definitely different than back around her housefolks nest, monsters only passed by occasionally.

 **"The scent is strong here"**  
Marney whispered

 **"Yeah, so is the sound of those monsters!"**

she heard Sebastian growl behind her.

She pushed her way past another clump of ferns and found herself facing a large field, she quickly realized she had no idea where they were, in the distance, not just one of two but a whole, endless line of Monsters buzzed along, going in opposite directions from one another, beyond them, a huge housefolk nest loomed, but that's not what caught her attention. There, in the field, a single black shape was sitting in the grass.

 _ **"There!"**_  
Marney gasped as Sebastian pushed in beside her.  
 **"There he is"**

 **"How do you know?"**  
Sebastian asked suspiciously.

 _ **"Well, who else could it be?"**_  
Marney retorted.

 **"Lots of other cats, actually"  
** Sebastian retorted

Marney drew her attention back to the tomcat, he was sitting stone still, he appeared to be staring at something a fair distance away from himself, suddenly, he bunched his haunches and bounded forward, plunging his head deep into the thick grass. A faint, but recognizable squeak greeted the edge of Marneys hearing, when the black tomcat withdrew his head, a small, limp shape hung from his jaws.

 **"Now, does that look like a Street cat to you?"**  
Marney asked Sebastian wryly

He just scoffed  
 **"Big deal, I suppose a Street cat could teach itself to hunt"**

Marney rolled her eyes.  
 **"Let's go see if he wants to talk"**

 _ **"You must be kidding me!"**_  
Sebastian growled

 **"That's the whole reason we can here, remember?"**

 **"Yeah, I remember"**  
Sebastian growled  
 **"Go on then, but if he eats you, I'm not saving you"**

Marney cautiously started out into the field, she looked back to see Sebastian sitting where she had left him, she silently hoped he'd come with her, but it might be easier to approach this cat by herself.

 _ **"Hello!"**_  
she called as soon as she'd padded a distance further  
 **"Hello there!"**

The black cat straighted up, and looked frantically around.

 **"Hi!"**  
Marney called as soon as he glanced at her,  
she started forward but the tom jumped to his paws and dashed off at a rabbits pace, keeping himself low to the ground.

 **"Hey, wait!"**

But it was too late, the tom had vanished into the forest some distance away.

 **"Well, that was eventful"**  
Sebastian growled as Marney padded back to him, downtrodden.

 _ **"I'm sorry I wasted your time"**_  
she murmured sadly as she brushed past him.

 **"Hey, it wasn't a waste of time"**  
Sebastian assured  
 **"Sure, I'm soaked to the skin, cold, hungry and I'll probably catch a chill and die, but look at where you brought us"**

 _ **"So?"**_  
Marney didn't look at Sebastian as she tried to dry the fur on her soaked belly

 **"** ** _So_** **, this field is probably full of mice! Did you see how easily that cat caught one? if we ever want to dry hunting again, we can come here"**  
Sebastian beamed at his own clever idea  
 **"When it's dry, of course"**

 **"I guess so"**  
Marney shrugged  
 **"But I really wanted to talk to that tomcat"**

 **"Hey, cheer up"**  
Sebastian purred as he settled down beside her  
 **"For all we know, that wasn't even him"**

 **"Yeah. You're probably right"**  
Marney murmured  
 **"You wanna head home?"**

 **"We probably should"**  
Sebastian replied

It was nearly sunset by the time the two cats made it back to the more familiar part of the forest, as they passed the Holly bush where the tom had been, Marney sighed. At least the rain had stopped, but she was still soaked.

 **"You go get dry"**  
Sebastian murmured as soon as they reached Marneys nest  
 **"See you tomorrow?"**

 **"Yeah, see you"**  
Marney briefly brushed her cheek against Sebastians  
 **"and thank you for going with me again"**

 **"Hey, no problem. After all, I'm glad I have you to talk me into this things"**  
he replied

Marney watched as Sebastian made his way across the monster path and up to his nest, she turned and padded towards her own, her housefolk would be back soon and she was still soaked through, she settled down on the swinging sitting place and began to give herself a thorough washing to dry her fur.

That night, as Marney settled between the female Housefolks legs to sleep, her mind buzzed with thoughts of the forest. The sights and scents became stronger than ever. The image of the battle-scared tom popped into her mind, she wondered if she should look for him without Sebastian, perhaps the presence of another tom had made the cat nervous? She didn't know.

Soon, sleep took her and thrust her into another dream forest, but she could help but wish it were real.


	4. Chapter 3-Lessons of life

The next four days were filled with the same old monotony, meeting up and laying around with Sebastian, occasionally they'd meet up with a few of the other House cats from the area. Not that Marney didn't enjoy spending time with her friends, but she couldn't keep her mind off of the forest, which seemed to be calling to her louder and louder.

 **"You'll never guess who I saw last night, after you left"**  
Sebastian murmured as Marney greeted him outside his den that morning.

 **"Who?"**

 **"Sam"**

 _ **"Sam?"**_  
Marney stared at him in surprise  
 **"He hasn't been around for a while, what happened to him?"**

Sam was a young gray tom that lived several houses down from Marney and Sebastian, Marney didn't like him all that much, he was too full of himself, she thought, but he and Sebastian seemed to get on fine.

 **"Yeah, he said that his Housefolks had him at the vet"**  
Sebastian murmured  
 **"They had him...altered"**

 **"Oh no..."**  
Marney gasped.  
 **"did he seem any... _different_?"**

 **"Not really"**  
Sebastian shrugged  
 **"he wasn't as keen to start a wrestling match as usual, but that's it"**

Marney was quiet for a moment, she knew that Sam was older than both she and Sebastian, nearing his second spring, but she never could imagine that his housefolk would get him altered as well, Sam chose, on his own terms, to stay outside most of the time and it just didn't make any sense to her.

 **"What's wrong?"**  
Sebastian asked, breaking into her thoughts.

 **"N-nothing"**  
Marney replied  
 _ **"I just..."**_

 _ **"What?"**_  
Sebastian urged

 **"It's coming, Seb."**  
Marney murmured  
 **"soon, our housefolk will take us to be altered, I don't want that to happen"**

 **"Me either, but what can we do?"**

 **"Let's leave"**  
Marney looked up brightly

 _ **"What?"**_  
Sebastian gasped in surprise

 _ **"Yeah!"**_  
Marney looked at him excitedly  
 **"let's run away, you and me, we could go out there"**  
she swept her gaze over the wide expanse of trees  
 **"We could live like wild cats, no Housefolk to take away what belongs to us"**

Sebastian continued to look at her in surprise

 _ **"Not this again"**_  
he muttered  
 **"You can't be serious"**

 **"Well, yeah, I am"**  
Marney stared at him  
 **" _Think_ about it, Seb! If we stay, what happened to Sam will happen to us!"**

 **"Maybe not, besides, there's no way we could survive out there"**  
Sebastian reasoned

 **"Yes we could! we already caught a mouse!"  
** Marney protested

 **" _One mouse_ , We're Housecats, Marney, born and raised, it's all we know how to be!"**  
Sebastian growled

 **"That's all _you_ know how to be, you mean"  
** Marney retorted

Sebastian scoffed  
 **"Wake up, Marn'! You may think you're a wild cat, but you have no idea how to survive as a wild cat, you'd drag us out into the woods and we'd be dead before the next full moon"**

 **"We would not, we'd learn!"**  
Marney insisted

Sebastian sighed  
 **"Marney, look. You're my best friend and I love you. But you're talking nonsense. I love that you're so passionate, I love that you're wild and crazy and you get these ideas in your head that any other cat would look at you funny and slowly back away for. But this talk of just up and going into the forest, it's...it's too much, you need to stop. "**

 **"I can't believe you"**  
Marney growled  
 **"I can't believe you'd rather stay here, with the Housefolk and be stripped of your Tom-hood than come with me and have a chance at a better life!"**

 **" ' _A better life_ ' "?**  
Sebastian repeated  
 **"Do you not realize how cold and hungry we'd be? not to mention that, out there, we aren't just predators, we're prey as well"**

 _ **"But-"**_

 **"Besides, you may act like you hate it, but trust me, once you went a few days without food, you'd come crawling back to your twolegs as well"**  
Sebastian growled

Marney looked at him in disgust

 **"You don't think I could do it"**  
she hissed  
 **"You don't think I could survive out there"**

 _ **"Marney"**_  
Sebastian rolled his eyes in irritation

 **"Don't _'Marney'_ Me!"**  
she snarled  
 **"Well, you know what? I'll show you, I'll prove you wrong, then we'll see who the sorry one is"**

Marney whipped around and stormed for the Monster path

 **"Where are you going?!"**  
Sebastian called after her.

Marney whipped around to glare at him

 **"I'm going into the forest, and I'm going to catch so many mice that it'll knock your tail off!"**

She whirled back around and bounded across the path and into her yard, leaving Sebastian to stare after her.

 _'Some friend he is'_  
she muttered to herself, ignoring Sebastians call to come back  
 _'But I'll show him, I'll show him I have what it takes to survive out there'_

Marney padded silently through the dark forest, taking in the scents and sounds around her, it wasn't long before she passed the place where she and Sebastian had played, she snorted in anger and continued on, unsure of exactly where she was going.

She padded further and further until nothing was familiar, she'd never been this far back before, nervousness began to creep up on her.

 _'no!'_  
she scolded herself  
 _'A wild cat wouldn't be scared of it's surroundings, it would learn more about them'_

She forged onward and wasn't long before she came across the somewhat familiar field where she and Sebastian had seen the black tomcat hunting, would she see him here again?

Tentatively, she left the cover of the forest and padded out into wide open field, it's deep green and yellow grass seemed to go on forever, she padded farther out, the occasional rustle in the grass or a distant warning squeak told her what Sebastian had only guessed, this field was full of mice.

Marney fixed her gaze on a twitching tuft of grass ahead of her and pounced, only to find nothing beneath her paws, frustrated, she continued farther out into the field, ahead was the monster path, the last time she was here, it was filled from end to end with monsters, but now, not a single one rumbled by, save for the distant roar of one far off.

Beyond that, the massive Housefolk nest, Marney could see a few dozen monsters sitting in front of it.

She stopped at the edge of the path and peered across it, the ground in front of the den was black and dotted with white lines, it appeared to be made of the same stuff the monster path was. But that wasn't what caught Marneys attention the most, there, on one side of the wide monster path in front of the nest, was a throng of fat, lazy pigeons, they busily pecked at some stuff on the ground.

Marney knew that street cats often caught pigeons, they were usually too stupid to fly away, if she could catch one, Sebastian would have to believe that she could survive in the wild.

She lowered herself to the ground and shot quickly across the monster path, breathing a sigh of relief when her paws touched grass.

She stayed where she was, scoping out her targets, a white pigeon caught her attention, it bobbed and hobbled along, Marney quickly realized that it only had one leg, surely an easy catch.

She inched forward, relieved that the birds had not spotted her, she stopped with the one-legged white pidgeon disappeared into the flock, and waited for it to reappear. When it finally popped out, Marney flung herself forward, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her and leaped into the slowly rising flock as they lifted into the air, her forelegs flailed through the air, claws unsheathed, hoping that she could make contact with something. But when she sat up, she realized that she was empty-pawed, making her feel even more frustrated.

 _ **"You were never going to catch one like that anyway"**_

A sudden voice made Marney whirl around in fear, the fur along her spine raised and her tail fluffed up, she was staring into the eyes of the battle-scarred black tom!

 ** _"It's you!"_**  
she gasped, shuffling backwards.

 **"I gotta say though, I did enjoy that performance. What are you doing out here, Kittypet?"**  
the black tom asked

 **"I uh, I just wanted to hunt something"**  
she stuttered

 **"I see, well you failed"  
** He purred in amusement as he padded around her in a circle and sitting down in front of her. **  
"It's not often I see Kittypets out here, what? your Two-legs abandon you?"**

 **"I am not a kittypet"**  
Marney growled  
 **"Whatever that is"**

The tom rolled his haunting yellow eyes  
 **"You know, a kittypet. A pellet muncher, a lap warmer"  
** The glimmer of mischief never left his eyes.

 **"Well, I'm not any of those things"**  
Marney retorted

 **" _Oh?_ You live with Two-legs, don't you?"**

 **"What's a two-leg?"**  
Marney asked

The tomcat sighed  
 **"Those up-right creatures, the ones that feed you House-dwellers"**

 **"Yeah, I have some, so what?"  
** Marney replied ****

 **"You curl up on some soft nest at night? Let them pet you? eat dust pellets from a bowl?"**

 **"Yeah I guess so"**  
Marney shrugged

 **"That's what makes you a kittypet, mousebrain. You still haven't told me what you're doing out here, kitty"**  
The tomcat purred in amusement

 **" _I told you_ , I wanted to hunt"**

 **"Why?"**  
he asked  
 **"You have no need to hunt, you have food available to you whenever you need it, hunting shouldn't just be for fun"**

 **"For your information, I hate that house-folk kibble and that sloppy wet meat they give me, I wanted to try real prey and I'm out here because my friend Sebastian doesn't believe I could survive out here"**  
Marney growled

 _ **"Is that right?"**_  
the tomcat mused  
 **"You are a strange one, Most kittypets are quite happy with their lazy, pampered lives"**

 **"Well, I'm not"**  
Marney replied

The black tomcat studied her closely, his emotions hard to read in his deep yellow eyes as they burned into Marneys fur.

 ** _"Curious"_**  
he muttered, then he got up and started to pad away.

 **"W-wait, where are you going?"**  
Marney called

The tomcat looked back at her.  
 **"Well, if you want to hunt, don't let me stop you. Besides, I've got things to do"**

and with that, he turned back around and set off padding across the the monster path, back towards the field on the other side.

 **"Well, wait!"**  
Marney hopped up and quickly trotted after him.

 **"I thought...well, you're pretty good at surviving out here, right?"**  
she asked as she caught up with him, and walked side-by-side with him.

The tomcat shrugged  
 **"I guess, been doin' it all my life"**

 **" _Wow!_ , really?. But Sebastian said that you were just s street cat"**

The tom snorted as he halted and looked at Marney.  
 **"Please"**  
he growled  
 **"Those rubbish eaters ain't even worth my time, scrawny, disease ridden cowards is all they are. Now, seriously, I got better things to do than hang around here all day, why don't you go on home to your two-legs? Like I told ya, you're more than welcome to catch a mouse or two here, ain't no fur off my back and there's plenty here"**

 **"Well, I uh"**  
Marney muttered  
 **"I've never hunted before"**

The black tom shook his head  
 **Well then, I wish you a lot of luck"**

 **"B-but, I was hoping that, maybe...you'd show me a couple things?"**  
Marney asked meekly

He paused  
 **"You're kidding me?"**

 **"No, well I mean, you're like, an expert hunter,so-"**

 **"Listen, kittypet. Hunting isn't something you can learn after a few times. You're either born with the instinct or you're not and I hate to tell you this, but you kittypets aren't born with what you need"**  
He paused again  
 **"So the best thing for you to do is stick with what y'got"**  
He continued on his way without even a second glance, leaving Marney to sit in the middle of the field, staring after him.

 _ **"Hold on!"**_  
Marney sprung to her paws and raced after him, this was the chance of her lifetime, the moment she'd been waiting for since she was born, she wasn't about to let the opportunity slip past her.

 **"wait up a moment!"**  
Marney called as she caught up with the tom again.

He stopped and sighed

 **"Listen"**  
Marney panted  
 **"I really, _really, really really_ want to learn how to live like a wild cat. I know I'm not like you, I was born in a pink basket for fleas-sake!..but for as long as I can remember, all I could think of..and all I ever dreamed of, was being out here, like you, hunting, surviving,raising my kittens. Look, simple fact of the matter is that a friend of mine was taken to the vet by his House-folk and altered. I don't want that to happen to me"**

The tom simply groaned  
 **"I feel for you, young she-cat. I do. But I'm sorry, I can't help you"**

 **"Please?"**  
Marney pleaded  
 **"Couldn't you teach me? even a little? Then I can learn everything else on my own"**

The tom closed his eyes and sighed deeply, slowly lowering himself to sit.  
 ** _"Fine"_**  
he finally answered  
 **"Only because I can see you won't stop pesterin' til I agree. Not to mention the fact that You have piqued my interest, I'd like to see how this plays out. So. If you're serious about everything you just said. Meet me at the edge of this field tomorrow, just before sunrise and I'll teach ya' a few things"**

 _ **"You will?"**_  
Marney hopped to her paws  
 **"Oh, thank you!"**

 **"Yeah yeah, just make sure you show up"**  
he growled  
 **"Now go on back home or something, I can tell I won't be hunting here for the rest of the day, your yowling has probably scared off all the prey"**

 **"Thanks! and I will, show up!"**  
Marney called as she did as she was told and trotted back towards the forest.

 ****Marney made her way slowly through the forest, back towards her nest, she let herself take in the sights and sounds of the forest again. By tomorrow, she'd finally be on her way to learning how to live the life she'd always wanted.


	5. Chapter 4-Lessons of Woe

**_"No, No,No"_**  
Crow grumbled for what seemed like the millionth time since the sun had risen.

He padded over to Marney, shaking his head, yellow eyes narrowed  
 **"How many times I gotta tell you? Keep your spine straight, your head, spine and tail must be as one, all you'll catch with your rear end up in the air like that is fleas!"**

He once again used his forepaws to guide Marneys body into position.  
 **"Try it again, remember, A bird will see your slightest movement, even a twitch, you must make the bird thing you are a part of the forest, not something alive"**

He padded away a few steps and sat down and watched as Marney once again tried stalking a stick he had gotten for her to practice on.

 _ **"No!"**_  
He spat again  
 **"Keep your tail still"**

Marney groaned in frustration and straightened up.  
 ** _"I'm trying!"_**  
she hissed  
 **"It's just too exciting"**

 **" _Excitement_ fills no bellies"**  
Crow preached  
 **"You want to learn this stuff? You need to focus"**

 **"Maybe it'd be better to practice on a real bird?"**  
Marney suggested

Crow grunted  
 ** _"You'd never get close enough"_**

Marney rolled her eyes

 **"Well, maybe you should demonstrate"**

Crows eyes gleamed  
 ** _"Fine, I'll show you how to catch a bird"_**  
he grunted, pushing himself to his paws without leaving Marney a chance to speak, he set off like a flash across the field.

 **"Hold on a moment, where are you going?!"**  
Marney called after him and scrambled to catch up

 **"Hurry up!"  
** He simply called

Marney followed the black tom across the field and back toward the Monster path, he lead her to the place in front of the huge House-folk nest, where she had tried to catch the pigeon the day before.

 **"Why are we here?"**  
she asked

 ** _"Just wait"_**  
Crow grumbled and settled down onto his belly.

Marney sighed and settled down as well, wondering what they could possibly be waiting for.

The sun climbed higher in the sky and the day started to heat up, with his black fur, Crow was visibly starting to pant, but still he didn't utter a word. Marney was growing bored.

 **"What are we even-"**

 ** _"There"_**  
Crow cut her off as a small white monster pulled into a section of the large path where the rest of the monsters were resting, the monster grew quiet and a small, elderly looking House-folk step out, she began pouring something yellow onto the ground before hobbing back into the monster and forcing to grumble and groan as it sprung back to life, it back up and turned to join the other monsters farther up.

 **"What was that?"**  
Marney asked

 ** _"Just wait a while longer"_**  
Crow purred quietly

 **"But I'm getting hungry, and I'm bored, I thought I was supposed to be-"**

 ** _"Shh!"_**  
Crow hissed, as a single, fat pigeon fluttered down to the ground and began pecking eagerly at the yellow stuff on the ground.

Soon it was joined by another, then another and within a few moments, a dozen of the fat, lazy birds were in a frenzy, gobbling up whatever the House-folk had poured onto the ground.

Crows eyes fixed on the birds and he slowly inched himself up, his belly fur barely touching the warm, black ground of the monster nest.

He inched forward ever so slightly, his body slightly bobbing side to side as he slid forward even more, Marney quickly realized that the air in the distance was hazy with heat just above the black stuff that made up the monster nest, and that Crow was mimicking the shimmering affect it had.

Suddenly, the black cat sprung forward, his hind claws scraping the hard surface as he pushed off.

In a flurry of movement, he sprung into the air at the same time the birds took notice and lifted off into the air, with incredible accuracy, he flicked out a forepaw and hooked one of the pigeons wings with his claws, sending it spiraling to the ground, it bounced on the hard monster nest with a thud, the black tom was ontop of it in an instant.

He padded up to Marney with the gray pigeon in his jaws, flapping it's wing feebly, Crows eyes glowed with excitement and soon, the pigeon grew quiet and limp.

 ** _"You see?"_**  
he asked after setting his catch down at Marneys paws.  
 **"Hunting is about patience, learn when and where your prey will be and you'll be good to go, once you learn how to catch it. It's not about flailing around like an excited kit"**

He stared into her eyes  
 **"If you aren't _patient_ , you don't _eat_ " **

**"That...was...awesome!"**  
Marney stared excitedly at the dead bird at her paws.  
 **"How long did it take you to learn to do that?"**

 **"Three springs"**  
Crow grunted, then turned to pad back across the monster path without another word.

 **"Hold on!"**  
Marney called  
 **"What about the pigeon?"**

 **"Bring it"**  
Crow called over his shoulder  
 **"You said you were hungry, hurry up, we'll eat in the forest"**

Marney groaned and plucked up the pigeon in her jaws,surprising herself with how heavy it was and scrambled across the path.

 **"Why do you do that?"**  
Marney hissed as soon as she reached the treeline, the black tom had already settled down and was grooming his side in long, fluid licks.

 **"Do what?"**  
he grunted, looking up briefly before returning to his grooming.

 **"Just take off without a word, you could talk to me, let me know what's going on"**  
Marney complained

Crow looked up at her, yellow eyes blazing.  
 **"What's the point?"**  
he growled  
 **"You want to learn how to be a wild cat and ol' Crow is here to teach, you're learning, aren't ya?"**

 **"I guess, but you could still-"**

 **"Now, you gonna eat that pigeon or let it go to waste?"**  
He growled,pointly cutting her off.

Marney sighed and settled down to begin plucking the feathers off of the birds chest, but her heart wasn't into it as she bit into the bird for the first time, she crunched through the thick breast bone and swallowed a mouthful of the meat, but it tasted bland and stale to her.

Marney left the rest and stood up.

 **"You finished already?"**  
Crow asked, sounding not even a bit interested

 **"Yeah, I guess I'll get out of your fur and head home"**  
Marney shrugged

 **"Had enough already? well, that figures"**  
Crow grumbled, shrugging slightly  
 **"Well, see ya' 'round, Kittypet"**

Marney bit back a sharp retort and simply turned and padded back into the forest, she turned to see that Crow had helped himself to what was left of the pigeon.

Marney shook her head, were all wild cats this selfish?

She reached the middle of the forest just as the sun was climbing higher in the sky, a sound nearby made her freeze, ahead of her, a robin was busily pulling a worm from the earth.

Marney struggled to remember what she'd seen Crow do, what he had told her as she lowered herself slowly into a crouch, keeping her tail level with her spine as she inched forward, rocking slightly back and forth, eyes fixed on the bird as it continued to pull at it's prize.

She crept forward, trying hard to blend in with the forest around, sure that her dappled coat would help break up her shape.

She was just a pounce away now and the robin had still not taken notice of her, but had finally succeeded in pulling the worm from the ground, she couldn't wait any longer.

Marney flung herself forward and the robin let out an alarm call and fluttered into the air, Marney flailed her forelegs, hoping the make contact with the birds body, she felt her claws hook something soft and warm as the bird struggled to regain it's balance and fly away, she quickly took it's neck in her mouth and bit down hard. The bird flapped and fluttered but couldn't break free, feathers were littering the ground and fluttering through the air.

Marney breathed in the musty scent of her first kill as the bird went limp, her heart beat wildly in her chest and she struggled to control her rapid breathing.

Once she had finally settled down, she headed happily back towards her house-folks nest, she would show them her kill, certainly they'd be proud of her, but she knew that they'd be gone for a while longer.

Marney settled down onto her side, with the robin nestled into her belly, she began grooming her side in long, fluid strokes of her tongue.

She paused only when a voice called her name, she looked up to see Sebastian trotting across the yard, tail held high.

 _ **"Marney!"**_  
he called again as he stopped at the base of the steps leading up to the porch.

 **"Where have you _been_? I was starting to worry"**

 **"I was just out in the forest, no reason to worry"**  
Marney retorted curtly, still kinda angry at Sebastian.

Marney could see Sebastian begin a retort, but then his eyes glanced towards the robin laying at her stomach.

 **"Where did you get that?"**  
He asked, prodding at it with a forepaw.

 **"Caught it!"**  
Marney beamed.

She expected the black and white tom to reply with something like 'no you didn't' or 'no way!'  
but instead he just gasped **"really!? wow!"**

 ** _"Mmhmm"_**  
she replied  
 **"It was a lot of fun. Wish you'd been with me"**  
She added as a bit of a challenge, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

 **"Well, maybe next time I will. Then you'll have to show me how you caught one"**  
Sebastian replied excitedly.

Marney and Sebastian laid on the porch and chatted about nothing in particular until the sun began to set, at which point, Sebastian excused himself and headed back to his two-leg den, they'd be home any time. Marney realized that her own two-legs would be home soon as well.

To her surprise, Her house-folk had not been too excited to see the robin she'd caught. She'd expected them to at least try a bite, but they simple tossed it out into the yard when they found it, uttering half-hearted mewls of praise.

The next few days passed without much event. Crow was no where to be seen, despite Marney being able to smell him in the usual spots. She spent the afternoons lazing around with Sebastian and a few of the other cats from the nearby houses that she'd grown up with.

On one occasion, a silver/gray tabby with dark stripes, a young she-cat called Spark, brought her three small kittens out from under a shed a few houses down from her own. Spark was a few moons older than Marney and Sebastian, this summer had been her first and she had had her kittens under the shed to hide them from her two-legs.

 _ **"Watch me, Momma! Watch me!"**_

One of the two toms mewed as he jumped into the air and did a near somersault before landing with a stumble.

 **"That's very good, little one"**  
Spark purred

" **So you just hid from your two-legs?"**  
Sebastian asked, continuing the previous conversation.

 **"Yeah, well. I knew what had happened to a few other she-cats when their kittens were old enough, we were all taken from our mothers as well, after all."**  
She replied  
 **"I want my kittens to have a good life, I still miss my mother and siblings terribly, even if I do occasionally see one of my brothers."**

Marney wasn't paying any attention. Her thoughts were drawn to the kittens, wrestling and rough-housing nearby, always under their mothers watchful gaze, which never seemed to leave them.

The two toms, called Coal and Storm, both solid black with white spots of different sizes on their chests and the little she-cat, a spitting image of her mother, but with lighter gray fur, called Poppy.

Marney couldn't help from think that Coal and Storm bore uncanny resemblances to a certain, grumpy old tomcat she knew. But she didn't dare ask who the kittens father was, she knew that it was the queens and only the queens business which tom or toms she chose to mate with.

 **"-Yeah, I told myself I wasn't going to lose my kittens at just two moons old, why, they're that old now and I can't imagine what I'd do if I never got to see them again"**

Marneys' thoughts were brought back to the conversation Sebastian and Spark were having.  
 **"Well, I think it's great that you've done this for them. They'll have the lives we never had, they'll get to have their siblings until they choose to go on their own ways"**  
Marney put in.

 **"Yeah. I do worry though, I've been teaching them as much as I can, hunting and how to defend themselves, to stay away from the monster path, not that they ever listen"**  
Spark shook her head.  
 **"Of course, I'll always stay with my house-folk, I know one day they'll try and take me to be altered, but if it's going to happen, I want the knowledge that I got to raise these kittens"**

 **"I know exactly what you mean"**  
Marney replied wistfully.

The three friends continued their conversation well into the evening, the kittens never seemed to tire, their boundless energy was enough to wear Marney out just watching them.

Eventually, Spark excused herself and called her kittens to join her in the cover of a nearby bush and Sebastian and Marney said their goodbyes to each other in front of Marneys porch.

 **" _Wow,_ those little kittens sure had a lot of energy!"**  
Sebastian huffed  
 **"Made me tired just laying around and watching them play all day, sure were cute though, that little Storm is quite the story teller as well!"**

 **"Yeah..it..it brought back memories"**  
Marney sighed, her mind filled with memories of her mother, a beautiful gray and white queen and her three brothers, try as she might however, she could not remember their names.

Marney said goodnight to Sebastian and watched him head towards his house, she then settled in the swinging seat on the porch and it wasn't long before sleep stole her away.

She dreamed, not of the forest, but of Spark and her kittens, her sleep-brain made up images of what the kittens would look like grown, then flicked to herself, an adult she-cat, at her belly lay a litter of newborn kittens, though they were fuzzy, with no real shape or smell, in her dream, she knew what they were and it filled her with warmth and love.

The next morning, Marney padded quietly through the forest, it was raining and chilly,so she hadn't bothered to fetch Sebastian, certain he wouldn't have wanted to come anyway. She stopped by the tree where Crow always left his scent marker and sure enough, the scent was fresh, last night, as far as she could tell. Was he avoiding her? A prickle of anger flooded over her, if he didn't want to deal with her, all he had to do was open his mouth!

She continued through the trees, towards the big field, surprising herself with how well she already knew her way around, purring with amusement to herself over the thought that Sebastian would be utterly lost out here, he sure was missing out.

After pausing to sharpen her claws on a fallen branch, she made her way to the field, amazed, as always, by the wide expanse of grass ahead of her. The monsters were in full-force today, zooming in one direction and pulling into the large resting place in front of the huge two-leg nest or leaving the nest and going in the opposite direction.

Marney glanced around the field until something caught her eye, sure enough, a dark shape was picking its way through the grass. Anger once again picked at her coat, she was prepared to give that old tomcat a severe telling off...but first, she had to make sure it was him.

She set off, head and body held high, covering as much ground as she could without being seen, if she lost him, she might not see him for days, she was amazed at how elusive this tomcat had been.

When she finally made it to where the cat had been, she huffed in irritation, how could he be so fast! She was soaked to the skin and angry now.

 **"It's not nice to sneak up on a cat announced"**

The voice made her whirl around, anger in her eyes, until she realized that the voice was not Crows. Before her, stood a slim, but muscular gray tomcat. His short fur was sleek and healthy looking, but his face and ears told the story of a battle worn fighter.

Marney stood her ground, but flattened her ears.

 **"What are you doing out here, little house cat?"**

The toms voice was gruff and harsh.

 **"Awful far from your warmth and comfort, aren't ya?"**

His orange eyes gleamed with malice.

 **"I'm not a house cat"**  
Marney replied, keeping her head held high, but inside, she was shaking like a frightened kitten.

 _"Oh?"_  
The gray tomcat lashed his tail  
 **"Well, you sure smell an awful lot like one. So I'll ask again, what are you doing out here?"**

 **"I'm looking for someone"**  
Marney replied

 **"Are you? How convenient"  
**  
Marney didn't like the disguised hunger in his voice, the malice made her fur prickle

 **"Perhaps we can help each other out"**  
The tomcat continued, he was walking in a circle around Marney now

 **"How do you know we're looking for the same cat?"**  
she countered  
 **"how do you know I'm even looking for a cat?"**

The tomcat scoffed  
 **"Nice try"**

Marney felt as though this cats eyes, orange as the sunset, would burn right through her.

 **"I know your scent, I smell you all over the place and there's only one reason why you're here"**  
The toms eyes gleamed hungrily, tail flicking back and forth  
 **"You're looking for Crow. I'm looking for Crow, he and I have some unfinished business"**

 **"What could you possibly want from Crow?"**  
Marney asked

 **"Let's just say that he and I have a long history"**  
The gray tomcat sat down and drew a forepaw over his ear.  
 **"It's a tomcat thing. A pretty little she-cat wouldn't understand"**

 **"I understand plenty"**  
Marney growled, also daring to sit down  
 **"and stop calling me a house-cat, Crow's been teaching me to survive in the wild"**

 _ **"Has he!"**_  
The gray tom spat  
 **"Because I had it figured that coward had turned tail and run. Haven't smelled him around here for a few days. Don't guess you know where he's hidden himself"**

 **"I told you. I've been looking for him as well"**  
Marney rolled her eyes  
 **"Why would I know where he is if I've been looking for him"**

Irritation flared up in the gray toms eye, making Marney nervous. This cat could tear her apart, she knew it and he knew it.

 ** _"Well"_**  
He grunted, getting to his paws  
 **"If you don't know where Crow is, then you're of no use to me and you've got no reason to be here, so you'd best be on your way"**

 **"Now wait a moment, I've got as much right to be here as you do, besides, if anyone doesn't have the right to be here, it's you, because this is-"**

 ** _"This is what!?"_**  
The tomcat snarled, fur on his spine rising  
 **"Crows territory? Well, not anymore. That old coward hasn't been renewing his marks, so I do, indeed, have every right to be here. You however, are a stranger. a House-cat and I don' . Housecats. You've got until I count to ten to get out of my sight, or you won't like what happens next"**  
He turned his back on her.

Marney got to her paws, fur beginning to bristle, she couldn't fight, but she was fully prepared to fight on Crows behalf.

 **"I'm not going anywhere"**  
she challenged.

The gray tomcat wiped around, orange eyes blazing fire.  
 **"Your mistake, housepet"**  
he growled smoothly. Marney barely had time to react as the gray tom launched himself at her. She barely managed to bound out of the way and took off with a yowl, fur along her spine and tail standing straight up as the gray tomcat chased her across the field.

Her lungs were burning, if she could just make it to the trees, she could climb one, but perhaps she could turn and fight? She didn't dare turn around.

Onward, her paws carried her, she could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest, her breathing was becoming more and more tired. Finally, she broken through the trees and pelted up the nearest one. Once safely on a branch that would hold her weight, she glanced down, only to be startled by a silence splitting caterwaul.

The gray tomcat was standing at the base of the tree, face-t0-face with someone she did not expect. A black and white cat, back arched, black tail puffed up to twice it's size. Sebastian!

The two tomcats face each other, uttering groans and growls of defiance, Sebastians tail whipped side to side, while the gray tomcat stood stock still. Sebastian was tiny in comparison to this huge and seasoned tom, but Marney was amazed by how big he looked now

Marney barely had time to react before the two tomcats crashed together in a flurry of yowling and flying fur, before ritualistically separating.

Marney hissed defiance down at them, but was drowned out by the body-shaking caterwauling.

Again and again, Sebastian and the gray tom crashed together, for just moments, before squaring off again. Fur littered the forest floor and Marney could tell Sebastian was getting tired. His white fur tinged orange with blood, some of it clinging loosely to him, but there was nothing she could do.

Suddenly, another call nearby made all three cats look up. A black shape appeared from the brush, walking stiff-legged towards the two fighting toms, his tail brushed up and yellow eyes blazing with anger. Crow!

 **"Picking on young cats,Tress?"**  
Crows voice was tight and angry.

 ** _"You."_**  
Crow glanced towards Sebastian  
 **"You did good,but this isn't your fight, get on out of here"**  
He tossed his head towards Marney.  
 **"The both of you"  
** Crows eyes met Marneys for a moment, before snapping his glare back towards the gray tom, Tress.

Sebastian glanced uncertainly at the black tomcat, then flashed a look of pure hatred towards the gray one before hobbling towards the base of the tree that Marney was still perched in.

 _ **"Well, well well."**_  
The gray tomcat spat  
 _ **"You finally decided to come out of your hole long enough, did you?"**_

 **"Cut me a break. You're not the only pest I have to deal with** "  
Crow growled  
 **"You know who this territory belongs to, get out"**

 **"Doesn't belong to you anymore. You gave up these parts when you stopped patrolling them"**  
Tress growled

 **"Oh? and I suppose you're going to try and take it from me?"**  
Crow asked, simply sitting down and drawing a forepaw over his right ear. Marney noticed that he did appear to have some fresh wounds on his face.

 **"Go on now, you two. Get out of here. Marney, come see me tomorrow, once this is all settled"**  
Crow addressed Marney and Sebastian again

 **"This is about to be fun"**

Sebastian kept his eyes on the tomcats as Marney scooted, tail first down the tree and together, they slunk their way away from the forest, back towards the two-leg nests. Marney couldn't help but jump when the air rang out with the distant sound of fighting tomcats, not moments after they broke from the forest. 

**"Thanks"**  
Marney murmured after the two friends were well away from the forest and had settled on Marneys porch.

 **"No problem"**  
Sebastian replied  
 **"Just glad I found you when I did"**

 **"Me too, that cat would have had my skin. What possessed you to come into the woods anyway?"**

" _ **Well"**_  
Sebastian replied  
 **"I hadn't seen you all day, so I figured I knew where you were. I wanted to make sure nothing happened"**

 **"Well thanks"**  
Marney purred, giving Sebastian a lick over the ear

 **"ow!"**  
he hissed quietly

 **"Oh! I'm sorry"**  
Marney drew back, feeling guilty

 **"It's ok"**  
Sebastian purred, reaching out with a forleg and drawing Marney back in close  
 **"It doesn't feet great but I'll live. But if you don't mind, I think I'll see you in a few days. No more craziness for a while, I need some time to rest"**

 **"For once, I agree with you, after that"**  
Marney purred

 **"Ok, then. Well I'll see you in a few days. I'm going to head home"**  
Sebastian gave Marney a quick lick on the head, before heaving himself to his paws and half walking half slithering off the porch and stiffly limping across the yard and back towards his two-leg nest. Marney watched him go, unable to shake the guilty feeling, it was her fault he was hurt, afterall.


	6. Chapter 5-Lessons of Hardship

**"** ** _Good!_** **Very good! It looks like you're finally getting the mouse stalking technique down, in another spring or two, you'll figure out bird stalking"**

It had been just over two moons since Marney had started meeting with Crow and learning how to hunt. Things still weren't much different, his praise still sounded like an insult and his insults...well, they still sounded like insults too. But Marney could tell that the old tom was getting more patient with her.

 **"Are you insulting me, or praising me?"**  
She shot back irritably. It had been like this all morning.

 **"Neither"**  
Crow replied simply, from his spot a few feet away, where he'd been all morning, enjoying a lazy grooming session all while barely paying any attention to anything she was doing, but still managing to bark out instructions.

 **"I'm here to teach you how to be a wild cat and in order to be a wild cat, you have to not die."**  
He purred in amusement at his own joke.  
 **"I'm teaching. You're learning, aren't you?"**

Another of his favorite lines.

Marney sighed.  
 **"** ** _Alright_** **, what's next?"**

The gruff old tomcat glanced up at the sky.  
 **"That's it for today"**  
he grunted, hauling himself to his paws.

 _ **"Seriously?"**_  
Marney scoffed  
 **"You're so lazy"**

Crow stretched his fore-legs out in front of him in a stretch  
 ** _"Well"_**  
He gaped with a huge yawn  
 **"I don't know about you, but it's getting hotter by the moment and I don't feel like dying of heat exhaustion."**

 _ **"Oh, fine"**_  
Marney rolled her eyes.  
 **"Can't argue with you anyway"**

 **"That's right"**  
Crow retorted  
 **"Took you long enough to figure that out"**  
and without another word, the tomcat started off towards the forest, after a moment, he stopped and called over his shoulder  
 _"You know where to find me!"_

 _'No, I really don't'_  
Marney grumbled to herself, sometimes that old tom was so hard to pin down.

Marney sighed and flopped down in the tall grass, tail flicking lazily, it was still early but Crow was right, the day was heating up, fast.

A prickle of fear jolted her in her fur when she remembered her encounter with the large gray tomcat, Tress. He had been determined to take over Crows territory,She had no desire to come across him again. Crow had never said, but she assumed the issue had been resolved, at least for now.  
The young she-cat got to her paws and padded back into the forest, towards home,deciding she'd go and see what Sebastian was up to, she altered her course so that she'd emerge from the forest just behind his house, instead of hers.

Sebastian and Marney lay in shade of a large oak tree at the edge of the woods as the sun climbed high in the sky, Marney drifted in and out of consciousness as the lazy strokes of Sebastians tongue across her head threatened to put her to sleep. Even in the shade, it was hot.

After a while, the gentle strokes to her head stopped and Marney shifted to see that Sebastian had fallen asleep behind her, his breaths coming in slow, steady rhythms.

She studied her friends face, not missing the long scar over his left eye and the small scar on the bridge of his nose. She couldn't help the wave of guilt that flooded through her pelt. He wouldn't have had those scars if it weren't for her.

She shifted into a more comfortable position and closed her eyes, images of the fight between Sebastian and Tress flooded her mind. Her friend had been so determined to defend her, to come to her rescue.  
 _'he's growing up'_ she thought to herself. She opened her eyes again and admired Sebastians body,With the scars, his once round kitten face was looking more like an adult tomcats face, his soft, fluffy kitten coat was now sleek and shiny. He also had muscles now, these were all things she'd never noticed before, a strange feeling flooded into her body, making her feel hot...hotter than usual, she shook the feeling away, stood up and yawned, then prodded Sebastian awake.

 _ **"Hey"**_  
She prodded him again  
 **"I'm gonna head home. It's like, super hot"**

Sebastian stretched and sat up  
 **"Yeah, you're right. Ok, well, see you later then"**

After saying their goodbyes, the two friends parted ways, Sebastian headed for the front of his house and Marney headed across the yard, towards hers.

Marney knew it'd be a while until her twolegs came back, so she took refuge under the bush beside the porch and settled in to give herself a good wash. Her thoughts bounced around to many things, but always came back to one: Sebastian. She kept thinking about how much more grown up he looked.

 _ **"What in the name of everything in the forest is wrong with me?"**_  
She muttered to herself.

The next morning was one of the days where marneys twolegs didn't leave in the morning for the place called "work". So she was always expected to stay inside and accept their pets and cuddles, which she always did. She lazed around for most of the day on the the back of the couch as her twolegs stared at the noisy box on the other side of the room, occasionally roaring in amusement at the noises it was making.

Finally, as the sun was climbing high in the sky, her twolegs stood up from the couch and the noisy box grew dark and quiet. The twolegs began gathering their things and headed for the door. Marney waited patiently for them to leave, then headed for the wide open window in the kitchen, no wriggling out of the small sliver today, all she had to do was jump.

She glanced over in the direction of Sebastians house and saw him laying in the grass, talking with a few other cats, one of them, she could see was a young white tomcat with an orange tail and a bit of orange on his head, called Rascal, he and Sebastian were good friends but she never liked him, she found him too loud and obnoxious for her liking, so she made the decision to avoid him all together and decided to head for the forest instead. Perhaps she would catch something and try to find Crow, that'd surprise him.

Her mind flashed back to the last time she'd been out looking for Crow but quickly pushed the fear away. After all, she hadn't seen or smelled Tress in the area in a long time.

She headed for the bush where she knew Crow often marked his territory and sure enough, he'd been there that day, but not recently.

Forgetting to hunt entirely, she headed for the field, once again pushing away the fear of seeing Tress and not Crow. She might not even find Crow, she realized.

As she got closer to the field, she picked up the scent of a tomcat which had been in this area recently, it was definitely Crow. She followed the scent until it became fresher, she was surprised that he also smelled...surprised...a little farther along, she picked up the scent of another tomcat, one she was not familiar with, it made her nervous but she padded on, towards the field, eventually, both scents mingled together.

As she padded from the forest out into the open field, she spotted Crow almost immediately, sitting in the shade of a holly bush. But he wasn't alone, sitting with him was a large tomcat, longhaired white with a few black spots on his body and a black ear and tail.

Marney expected there to be a fight, but her surprise, the spotted tom was completely at ease and Crow looked more relaxed than she'd ever seen him. The two toms were just laying there, not together, but not apart either, they were a respectful distance from each other, but they were talking.

Marney thought about approaching, but then decided better of it, out of respect and settled into the grass to wait.

After what seemed like forever, she glanced up to see that the White tom was padding off with Crow following slowly behind, she watched as Crow called out and waved his tail and the other tom called back and continued on his way.

Crow slowly made his way in Marneys direction. He didn't have the cold, hard look in his eyes she was used to seeing and even his step seemed a bit lighter.

As the tom got closer, Marney bunched up her haunches and prepared to spring out.

 ** _"Surprise!"_**  
She yowled as soon as Crow was within scaring distance. He didn't even flinch.

 **"Did I scare ya?"**  
she purred, waving her tail.

 **"No"**  
he answered simply and continued on his way.

Marney padded after him.

 **"I could smell you"**  
he added.  
 **"The breeze was blowing towards us"**

 **"Oh"**  
Marney huffed,embarrassed.  
 **"So, who was that?"**  
she asked, trotting to his side.

Crow remained silent

 **"Not gonna tell me?"**

The tomcat sighed  
 **"I** ** _guess_** **I don't have a choice"**

 ** _"Nope!"_**  
Marney Chirred

 **"Rain. My brother"**  
Crow answered.

 **"Ohhhhhh"**  
Marney purred  
 **"I remember you saying you had brothers"**

 **"Mmhmm. Two of 'em"**

 **"Do you get to see your brothers often?"**  
Marney asked

Crow stopped in his tracks and sat down with a heavy sigh. Marney stopped beside him with and watched him with expectant eyes.

 **"Sometimes."**  
Crow answered  
 **"We all have our own territories to watch over, of course. But Rains' is nearby, so every now and then, he comes to visit. Been a long while though."**

 **"I see."**  
Marney nodded, nodding her head in a comical manner.  
 **"Do you enjoy seeing your brother?"**

Crow remained silent again and stood up and stepped over Marney and started to pad away.  
He looked back over his shoulder **_"It's nice"_** he murmured before continuing on his way.

Marney bounded after him.

 **"I suppose you want hunting lessons or something today?"**  
Crow asked without looking at her.

 _ **"Nah"**_  
Marney replied, giving him a playful nudge with her shoulder.  
 **"take the day off,** ** _grumpy_** **"**

Crow turned and glanced at her, was that amusement Marney saw in those yellow pools?  
 **"Thanks for allowing me that opportunity"**  
His voice was light hearted.

Surprisingly, as the pair walked, she realized they were headed for her house.  
 **"Where are you going?"**  
she asked

 **"Just into the twoleg nests for a while"**  
he answered  
 **"There's a few nice places to catch mice"**

 **"Oh, ok"**  
Marney replied  
 **"I'll leave you to it then"**

 **"You're welcome to join me"**  
Crow offered

Marney was surprised, this was the first time Crow even acted like he wanted her around.

 **"Uhh. I think I'll pass this time"**  
she replied  
 **"I've..uh, I've never been deep into the twolegs nests before..."**

 **"I get it."**  
Crow replied simply  
 **"Maybe another time".**

Marney followed Crow across her yard, she glanced at him as he was keeping an eye on her twolegs nest.

 **"That yours?"**  
he asked, flicking his tail in the direction of her nest.

 **"Yeah"**

 **"It's nice...You know, for an** ** _upwalkers_** **nest"**  
Crow growled

 **"Yeah, it is"**  
Marney tried to keep the wistfulness from her voice.

 **"Your upwalkers treat you good?"**  
Crow asked

 **"Yeah, they do"**

 **"Then I still can't imagine why you'd ever want to live out here. "**

 **"It's...complicated"**  
Marney replied

 _ **"You always were a weird one"**_  
Crow murmured.

After saying their goodbyes and leaving Crow to cross the monster path and head deeper into the throng of twoleg nests, Marney turned and headed towards Sebastians house.

Marney padded carefully across the yard and planted herself in front of Sebastians window.

 **"Seb!"**  
She called and waited  
 **"Sebastian!, you around, or what?"**

No answer

 _ **"Sebastian, get your lazy tail out here!"**_

Still no answer.

 _"hmm"_  
she mused  
 **"Must have gone off with Rascal..oh well, I'll catch him later"**

Rather than heading home, she decided rest in the shade of she and Sebastians favorite tree.

She settled down to give herself a good wash and must have fallen asleep, because a call jolted her awake.

Marney glanced up at the sky, which had turned it's vibrate orange/pink sunset colors then spotted the source of the call. Sebastian was picking his way across the neighboring two-leg yard, tail held high.

As he made it to his yard, he spotted Marney and stopped dead in his tracks, tail tip twitching, as if he was making a decision, the young tom then shook his head briefly and continued towards the tree.

 **"Hi!"**  
Marney called

 ** _"Hiii"_**  
Sebastian replied, sitting a few pawsteps away from her.

 **"So, what have you been up to?"**  
She asked Casually, not missing Sebastians stand-offish behavior.

He shrugged  
 **"Nothin' much, just hanging out with a few of the neighborhood cats"**

 **"Oh, well that's-"**  
A strange scent coming from Sebastians direction cut Marney off.  
She squinted her eyes at Sebastian and he nervously gave his chest a few quick licks.

 **"What are you hiding?"**  
Marney asked, standing up.

 **"Not hiding anything"**  
Sebastian replied defensively.  
 **"I was just-"**

Marney was standing beside him now, sniffing him up and down, mouth slightly open.

For a reason, not even she could figure out, the fur along her spine began to rise as she picked up the distinctive scent of a she-cat, not one she knew.

 _ **"Who's that?"**_  
she asked

 **"Who's what?"**

 **"This** ** _scent_** **. I can smell it, you know"**

 **"Oh, uh. Well. I met..a..she-cat"**  
Sebastian blustered, flicking his ear nervously.

Marney straightened up as her heart felt like it pushed it's way out of her chest.  
 ** _"Oh"_**  
she replied, still trying to process the strange emotions she was feeling. Why did she feel so weird hearing that Sebastian had met another she-cat? After all, they knew several and she was friends with all of them, Spark, Ellie,Fuzz, Nina. But hearing the way Sebastian had said he'd met another she-cat made Marneys' fur prickle.

 **"Who is she? Do I know her?"**

 **"Well, no"**  
Sebastian replied, raising a forleg to lick his paw and swipe it over his ear.  
 **"Rascal introduced me to her, she's really nice, her name is Oak"**

Hearing Sebastian talk about this _"Oak"_ made Marney feel sick.

 **"Rascal's been going deep into the two-leg nests lately, he says he's met tons of interesting cats"**

 ** _"Oh"_**  
Marney replied absently again  
 ** _"Is this, Oak, a kitty-pet too?"_**

 **"Well, no. She's a street cat"**

Marney knew Sebastian could see the expression on her face, because his face instantly become defensive.

 ** _"What?"_**  
he asked, his voice harder than it had been,the tip of his tail twitched.

 **"A street cat?"**  
Marney asked in disbelief  
 **"Aren't you the one who's always talking about how you hate street cats? How they're always howling behind your twolegs nest and keeping you up at night?"**

 **"So? This is different"**

 **" Different, eh? Well, I'd like to know how it's different"**  
Marney mused  
 **"** ** _'Street cats are all the same, dirty, stinking thieves'_** **Remember that?"**

 **"Stop it"**  
Sebastian growled  
 **"Oak is different, she-"**

 **"Oh, so she's different? Nice of you to pick and choose your opinions when it's convenient!"**  
Marney growled, cutting Sebastian off.

 ** _"Stop"_**  
he practically begged  
 **"I don't know why you're getting so upset"**

Marney didn't understand why she felt the way she did, knowing that there was another she-cat in Sebastians life, one who he talked about so fondly, the way he never talked about any of the others they look in his eyes disgusted her and she had no clue why.

 **"Well, I just wanna know why this street cat is any better than the rest? What makes her so special?"**  
Marney pressed.  
 **"What makes Oak so special? Because she's just a pretty tail?"**

 **"What!? No!"**  
Sebastian had shrunken into a huddled ball now.

Marneys hadn't even noticed that her tail was thrashing violently now and she was looming over her friend.

 **"** ** _No?_** **Well then what? I'm waiting on an answer!"**  
she growled irritably

 **"Because she used to be a kitty-pet, ok!?"**  
Sebastian sprang up suddenly and stood face to face with Marney  
 **"She used to be a kitty-pet, her two-legs left their nest and never came back. She was left all alone. She learned to live on the streets. I think that's amazing, I admire her"**

Marney was dumb-founded.

 **"Oh, so you admire this** ** _'dirty street cat'_** **for being a dirty street cat now, but when I wanted to go out into the forest, you thought I was stupid!"**

 **"It's not the same"**  
Sebastian shot back

 **"How not? You never admired me when I had something I wanted to do, how brave I was, nothing!"**

Sebastian didn't answer

 **"Why is that? You never agreed with me"**  
Marney pressed

 **"That's** ** _different_** **!"**  
Sebastian yowled  
 **"You have a home, two-legs who love you, feed you, care for you and for one, I think you're selfish for wanting to leave them! Oak has nothing!"**

Their noses were practically touching as Marney could feel Sebastians rapid, angered breaths as he loomed over her now, fur along his spine raised , tail lashing violently, green eyes burning like fire.

 **"You're** ** _selfish_** **and** ** _stupid_** **for chasing a dumb dream"**  
He continued backing off  
 **"You're one of the most selfish cats I've ever met. It's all about you, you, you. Everything you want to do and you just expect me to agree?"**

 _"I don't-"_

 **"No"**  
Sebastian growled  
 **"You're going to listen to me for once. It's always been like that too. I remember when we first met, you talked me into leaving the porch. I was terrified, I'd never been outside before, but did you care? No"**

 ** _"I just wanted you to see how cool being outside was..."_**  
Marney choked out the words.

 **"Well, maybe I never** ** _wanted_** **to go outside. Is it so much to think that all I want is a nice, relaxing life? But with you around, I always have to agree to go on your stupid adventures, else you get mad!"**

 **"If I wasn't around, you'd just lay around getting fat!"**  
Marney shot back

 **"If you weren't around, I wouldn't have gotten into that fight with that wild cat!"**  
Sebastian yowled as he sprung to his paws, tail lashing violently again.

 **"Remember that?"**  
he spat  
 **"You know my shoulder still hurts if I lay on it wrong? But do you give a birds beak? No, you don't. Because you're selfish and you're not a very good friend and I think you should just leave"**

Marney stared for a moment

 ** _"...What?"_**  
she whispered

 **"I said '** ** _I think you should just leave_** **' "**  
Sebastian growled coldly

Marney sat there, dumbfounded and hurt.

 **"You know, most house cats claim their yard as their territory. Don't make me chase you off"**  
Sebastian stared into her eyes. His own green pools cold as ice.

 ** _"Fine. But don't expect me back any time soon!"_**  
Marney turned and slunk away, towards her two-legs nest. Her head was reeling. Sebastian and she had had arguments before, but never that bad. She'd never seen him that angry.

She turned back and glanced in his direction, expecting him to call after her, but this time, he simple sat there, stone still, green eyes blazing as he watched her go.

That night, Marney lay on the window sill in the living room, her head still reeling over her fight with Sebastian as she watched a few monsters lazily make their way through the dark, down the road , their eyes shined strangely,lighting up the monster path in front of them.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, hoping to sleep, but her head was cursed with thoughts of the fight with Sebastian.

A sound outside jolted her from her light sleep and she glanced out the window into the dark world beyond. On the other side of the monster path, a young gray tabby and white cat sat, Marney could already smell that it was a she-cat from her scent on the air. The young she-cat lowered herself to the ground and rolled playfully on the monster paths rough surface.

Marney tested the air again, this time noticing that the young she-cat had a slightly different scent to her.  
Suddenly, a large, long-haired orange tabby appeared from the darkness of the corner of a two-leg nest. A tomcat. The young she-cat pulled herself up and sauntered over to him flirtatiously and flopped down in front of him, once again, rolling playfully.

Marney rolled her eyes when she realized what was going on.

She looked up as another cat made an appearance. The orange tomcat instantly looked tense and defensive. A large black tomcat strolled, stiff-legged across the path. The young she-cat looking on in interest.

Marney sniffed in disgust.

 **"Street cats"**  
she spat  
 **"They have no decency. Making two tomcats compete for who gets to father their kittens"**

Marney looked up again when she caught a familiar scent

 _"It can't be"_  
she muttered, tasting the air again.

The black tomcat smelled awfully familiar.

 **"Is that...Crow?"**  
she asked herself in disbelief.

Marney shook her head in disgust and jumped down from the window sill. If that's what he was into.

She strolled into the kitchen and jumped as the heart jolting sound of two tomcats fighting rang through the air.

The next morning, the only evidence that there had ever been cats outside her two-leg nest at all was scattered tufts of fur and the she-cats heat-scent, which was everywhere.

Marney sniffed curiously at a tuft of black fur which was caught on a fallen branch. The fur definitely belonged to a certain grumpy old tomcat.

Marney scoffed.  
 **"I shoulda known"**

Marney didn't recognize the scent of the orange tomcat or the young she-cat.

She wandered down the monster path, away from her two-leg nest, she picked up the scents again, the she-cats scent as she walked and the two tomcats, obviously in pursuit. She found a few spots where the cats had stopped and even more loose fur, where the two toms had obviously fought.

Not wanting to travel too far, she turned and headed back for her two-leg nest. As she passed it, she turned instinctively in the direction of Sebastians, then stopped herself.

She knew she would have to go and apologize, but she knew Sebastian had a habit of staying mad for a while, he'd need a few days to cool off.

She turned and headed for the forest behind her nest. She wasn't in the mood to look for Crow, no doubt she'd not even find him. For once, she just wanted to be alone.

She settled into the crook of the roots of an old oak tree and set to giving herself a good wash only to have it interrupted by the same of pawsteps approaching, she half expected Sebastian to have come looking for her, but that's when she heard multiple sets of paws and began to get nervous.

Slowly, she pulled herself up and peered quietly over the root of the Oak. A few pawsteps away, a Silver/gray cat was being tailed by two smaller black cats, kittens by the looks of them.

The silver tabby stopped and hushed the two kittens, who instantly dropped to the ground. The tabby she-cats ears swiveled on her head, and without warning, her head snapped in Marneys direction, her eyes burning like fire. They then softened and recognition crept over her face.

 _ **"Marney!"**_  
the she-cat called and Marney instantly recogized the voice of Spark.  
She pulled herself fully onto the root so that she was fully visible.

 **"Hey!"**  
she called as Spark beckoned her kittens to follow her  
 **"I haven't seen you in forever!"**

 **"Tell me about it"**  
Sparks replied as she sat in front of Marney, the two kittens hanging back, but watching Marney curiously.  
 **"I'm just glad it's you, I thought it was some strange tomcat, woulda ripped you apart"**

Marney hopped down from the root and strolled over to the kittens. She couldn't help but notice how much they did look like Crow, Coal even shared Crows deep yellow eyes, where Storm had his mother amber colored eyes.

 **"You two are much bigger than the last time I saw you, bet you don't remember that"**  
Marney purred in amusement and then looked around.  
 **"Where's the other one?"**  
She asked curious  
 **"Poppy, wasn't it?"**  
She remembered the little she-cat, a spitting image of her mother.

Marneys heart skipped a beat when she saw that Spark was looking sadly at her paws, even the two kittens were sollen.

 ** _"Monster got her"_**  
Storm murmured quietly

 **"Oh...Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"**  
Marney whispered

 ** _"No, it's ok"_**  
Spark replied looking up.  
 **"it was...it happened"**  
she swallowed hard.

 _ **"So, anyway"**_  
the she-cat continued, looking brighter, though her eyes still betrayed her sadness.  
 **"Where's Sebastian? You two are always together"**

It was Marneys turn to be upset.  
 **"He's uh...He's kinda mad at me right now"**

 **"Oh, well. what hap-...no, nevermind, well, it's none of my business"**  
Sparks corrected herself.

 **"No, it's ok."**  
Marney replied  
 **"I think I messed up bad. You see, he told me he met a she-cat and I got upset, then he got upset with me and then he told me to leave, threatened to chase me from his yard. I've never seen him so upset."**

Marney didn't miss the amused look in Sparks face when she mentioned getting upset over the she-cat.

 **"He said her name was Oak"**

Spark straightened up,looking serious

 **"Oak, huh?"**  
she asked

 **"Yeah, you know her?"**

 **"I know** ** _of_** **her. A lot of cats do"**  
Sparks replied.

 **"Really?"**  
Marney asked, curious now.

 **"Yeah, come over here. I'll tell you what I know"**  
Spark stood up and padded to the base of another tree  
 **"You two go play, but stay where I can see you, don't wander off!"**  
She addressed the kittens.

 _ **"Now"**_  
she turned to Marney as soon as she had settled down.  
 **"I've heard a lot of things about Oak. She's a nice enough young cat, but kinda shifty. Never stays in one place long, always uses a different name where ever she goes"**

Marney was surprised by what she was hearing.

 ** _"Why?"_**  
she asked

 **"No one knows"**  
Spark replied  
 **"But I-** ** _Hey!_** **, Coal! Remember what I told you, climb out of the tree** ** _tail_** **first!**

Marney purred in amusement as the little black kitten, who'd been attempting to decent a nearby tree like a squirrel flipped himself around to continue his decent tail first.

 **"But I do know that she always claims she used to be a kitty-pet, that her two-legs left and never came back"**  
Spark continued, turning her attention back to Marney.

 **"That's what Sebastian said"**  
Marney replied

 **"No one knows if it's true or not. The two-leg nest she claims to have lived in is old, full of holes and the plants have been growing on it for a long time. Sometimes, Two-legs stay there, but never very long. She's not that old. But no ones seen her around here before a few moons ago, she just popped up out of no where"**

 **"That's weird"**  
Marney murmured

 **"Tell me about it"**  
Spark growled  
 **"I've met her once and like I said, she was always nice enough, but she knows an awful lot about living out on her own for being a former kitty-pet, granted, she could have been self-taught like I was, but she just seemed a little...I don't know how to describe it"**

 **"That does sound really weird"**  
Marney growled

 **"Yeah, I'm not sure. I'm only going off what I've been told by other cats that know her more than I"  
** Spark replied

"I just can't figure out why Sebastian got so mad at me"  
Marney fussed  
"You know, he even tried to hide her scent from me?"

Spark got a knowing look in her eyes.  
 **"Well, he's a young tomcat"**  
she nudged Marney with her shoulder.  
 **"It was bound to happen sooner or later, some pretty tail would catch his eye. Well, I always expected you and him to, you know"**

Marney looked up in alarm

 **"** ** _W-What?_** **Me and** ** _Sebastian_** **? No! We're just friends"**  
Marney blustered, but knew it was true, but she still felt her fur getting hot.

 _ **"Are you sure?"**_  
Spark asked. But there was no hint of mischief in her voice and her eyes were serious.

Marney stared at her for a while.

 **"I...** ** _I don't know_** **"**  
she admitted  
 **"I-I never used to feel like that. But when he said he had been seeing another she-cat, I felt so weird, like I'd never felt before. If I'd know being friends with a tomcat would get so awkward, I wouldn't have given him a second look!"**

 **"Well, that's all part of growing up"**  
Spark mused

Marney purred in amusement  
 **"look at you. Barely older than me and already so wise"**

Spark looked at her for a moment

 **"Is that sarcasm I smell?"**  
she asked

 ** _"You'll never knooooow"_**  
Marney purred and tapped her for with a forepaw.

Marney and Spark layed around, chatting about this and that and watching Coal and Storm as they played until the sun was high in the sky.

 _ **"Well"**_  
Sparks grunted finally

 **"We'd better get going, we're going out into the field not far from here to practice hunting mice"**

 **"Oh, I know what field you're talking about. I hunt out there too"**  
Marney replied.

 **"Oh, well, you're more than welcome to join us"**  
Spark offered

 **"Thanks, but maybe some other time"**  
Marney excused herself.  
 **"I think I really need to go apologize to Sebastian for being such a pricky furball."**

Marney did not miss the knowing look in Sparks eyes again.

 **"I understand"**  
she replied

After saying their goodbyes, Marney watched Spark and her kittens head for the field where she and Crow often had her lessons, she wondered if they'd run into him.

Marney then headed in the direction of Sebastians house, she knew he'd still be cross, but she couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of sadness and guilt. He was her best friend and, though she'd never admit it to his face, he was right, she was often selfish with him. She hated the idea of losing him.

As she made her way towards the treeline which lead to the back of Sebastians two-leg nest, she caught his familiar scent on a frond of ferns, along with his, was a strange scent which she had smelled on him before, the scent Marney now knew what the she-cat, Oak...or whatever her name was.

Sparks voice rang in her head.  
 _'She's a nice enough young cat, but kinda shifty. Never stays in one place long, always uses a different name where ever she goes'._

What did that mean? Whatever it meant, it didn't stop the fur along Marneys spine from rising. She hated to think that Sebastian was being played for some sort of fool.

She walked across the yard and around the side of the house, Sebastian and Oaks scents grew stronger and stronger. Marney stopped short when she spotted two cats laying under she and Sebastians favorite tree. One of them was Sebastians familiar black and white shape, the other was a large brown tabby, with white paws, chest and nose. That most have been Oak.

Marney swallowed hard, she could feel her tail waving side to side as her irritation grew. She took a deep breath and started forward.

After a few pawsteps, Sebastian and Oaks heads snapped in her direction. Sebastian immediately squinted his eyes.

 _ **"Hi!"**_

Oak was the first one to call out, Marney was surprised at how fast she was on her paws, she rushed over to Marney and bumped her head against her shoulder before running her body along Marneys.

 **"You must be Marney! Sebby was just talking about you!"**  
Oak chirped as she draped her tail over Marneys back and guided her toward the tree, Sebastians ice-cold stare was enough to make her flinch.

 **"Don't worry though, all good things, all good things!"**  
Oak was still going on.  
 **"He said you like to go into the woods, oh you gotta be careful, lots of nasty cats in those woods!"**

Marney felt like gagging. She glanced towards Sebastian, his gaze was focused on Oak.

 **"I used to go into those woods to hunt, but there's a couple big, nasty tomcats in there. Especially that gray one, talking to him is like rolling around in a pile of fire ants!, no fun, no fun at all"**  
Oak seemed to babble, was she even paying attention to herself?  
Sebastian just listened.

 **"** ** _Yeah_** **, we had a run-in with that one"**  
he finally spoke up.

He turned his gazed towards Marney, there was no affection in his eyes, only hard anger.  
 **"Had to save this one because she thinks she's invincible"**

 _ **"Hey, I don't-"**_  
Marney started, but she thought better of it and closed her mouth.

 **"So, Marney"**  
Oak spoke up again  
 **"How long 'ave you and Sebby known each other?"**

 _'sebby?'_  
 **"Most of our lives"**  
Marney replied, she returned Sebastians cold gaze and added  
 **"convinced this lazy lump to leave his window!"**

Sebastian growled, the tip of his tail flicking.  
 **"Why are you even** ** _here_** **?"**  
he spit out.  
 ** _"Don't you take a hint when someone is mad at you?"_**

 **"Nope!"**  
Marney challenged back

Oak seemed oblivious to the whole thing.  
 **"Yeah, Rascal introduced Sebby and me, that Rascal, he's a pest, but he's a good tom. Wouldn't hurt a flea!"**

 **"Yeah, I heard"**  
Marney murmured.

Then, something caught Marneys eye. When Oak rolled onto her side, the bump of her belly was hard to miss.

 **"So, Oak."**  
Marney threw a glance at Sebastian  
 **"When are you expecting?"**

Marney could swear Oaks eyes hardened as she stared at Marney.  
 **"Oh, about another half moon"**  
she answered tensely

 **"Are you excited?"**  
Marney pressed

The tip of Oaks tail twitched  
 **"Sure, I just hope these ones aren't stillborn"**

 **"This isn't Oaks first litter"**  
Sebastian put in, throwing an angry glance at Marney  
 **"Her last two litters were stillborn, now cut it with the questions"**

 **"I'm sorry to hear that"**  
Marney dipped her head.

Sebastian glanced up at the sky  
 **"Hey, weren't you gonna show me that creek that runs on the outskirts of the two-leg nests?"**  
he asked Oak

The older she-cat looked up brightly  
 _ **"Sure was!"**_

 **"Oaks gonna show me how to watch fish"**  
Sebastian practically boasted as the pair got to their paws and started to pad away.

 _ **"You don't even like getting wet!"**_  
Marney called after them.

Once they had gone, leaving Marney alone in Sebastians yard, she gave herself a shake. She didn't like the vibes she got from this 'Oak', she seemed happy, almost too happy for a cat which had been through so much.

Marney layed around until the sun began to sink into the sky before deciding to head home. All she really wanted to do now, was sleep.

She headed back to her nest, her paws felt heavy and her chest felt as though her heart would fall out onto the ground. The Tension between her and Sebastian was like nothing she'd ever felt before?

Had she lost her best friend forever?


End file.
